Dr. Michael Tolentino, MD is an ophthalmology specialist in Clearwater, FL and has been practicing for 22 years. He graduated from UNIV OF MA MED SCH in 1993 and specializes in ophthalmology, ophthalmic surgery, and more.Read his story
The Macula Center
3280 N McMullen Booth Rd Ste 120
Clearwater, FL 33761
Insurance Accepted
- Aetna
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida
- Cigna
- First Health (Coventry Health Care)
- Humana
- MultiPlan
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Top Care Areas
See how frequently Dr. Tolentino performs your care needs compared to other doctors.
Chorioretinal Scars
very high
more than 97% of peers
Vitreous Hemorrhage
very high
more than 97% of peers
Retinal Detachment and Retinal Tear
very high
more than 97% of peers
Dr. Tolentino's percentages are based on the rate of treatment compared to peers nationwide from insurance data. Learn more info about our data and this Top Care Areas component.
Dr. Tolentino's bio
This content was provided by Dr. Tolentino "Doctor Michael Tolentino is a Board-Certified Ophthalmologist fellowship trained in the treatment of all medical and surgical retinal disease and laser surgery. This includes diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, macular puckers, retinal tears, complex retinal detachments and retinal degenerations such as retinitis pigmentosa. Dr. Tolentino is the son of Dr. Felipe Tolentino MD, a pioneer in retinal surgery at Harvard Medical School and author of one of the first textbooks on vitreo-retinal surgery. His father's patients included, the Chancellor of Austria, King of Spain, and Presidents of the Philippines. This passion of innovation rubbed off on his 13-year-old son Michael when he began research on the use of silicone oil for the repair of retinal detachment in his father's Harvard Medical School laboratory. While attending Brown University Dr. Michael Tolentino helped develop a cataract imaging system at the National Eye Institute (NEI). In medical school at UMASS he worked at the Berman-Gund Lab at Harvard Medical School studying Macular Degeneration and Retinitis Pigmentosa. This background lead him to the laboratory of Dr. Judah Folkman at Harvard Medical School where he demonstrated the importance of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor(VEGF) in diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration and was the first to test and purify Avastin as an eye injection. This research was the basis for the drugs Lucentis, Eylea, Avastin and Macugen. While continuing to develop eye injections, he completed his Ophthalmology Residency at the Harvard Medical School. He moved to the University of Pennsylvania for his vitreo-retinal surgical fellowship under the guidance of Drs. Stuart Fine and Alexander Brucker. He had a joint appointment as a member of the Cellular and Molecular Biology Faculty at UPENN and ran a NEI sponsored laboratory where he invented a VEGF gene silencing molecule called Bevasiranib. He also researched the use of gene and stem cell therapy for use in retinal disease. In parallel he refined his surgical skills as one of the main ophthalmic trauma surgeons in Philadelphia and the main Veterans Administration retina surgeon for the northern mid-Atlantic region. He eventually became the director of the vitreo-retinal surgical fellowship at UPENN. After helping develop anti-VEGF medications in the laboratory, he moved to central Florida to refocus his research on the clinical development and founded one of the largest retinal clinical research centers in the world. He went on to be principal investigator in over 120 retinal clinical trials helping seven retinal therapies get FDA approval. To pursue his passion for teaching, he joined the faculty of the University of Central Florida Medical School as a Clinical Associate Professor. He continues to develop new concepts in retinal care and has given over 200 international lectures. Currently he is pioneering the use of triple carotenoid supplements and blue light protection with melanin lenses to minimize or eliminate a patient's need for eye injections. He presented this work as the Jacob Moses Lecturer at Ohio State University. The research was also presented at the Mexican Vitreo-retinal society and the Cambridge University Carotenoid Conference. He has joined The Macula Center to have the freedom to pursue both novel preventative and therapeutic research. The move will also allow him to treat patients in a caring and compassionate environment that is both state of the art, holistic and spiritually healing"
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Care Philosophy
This content was provided by Dr. Tolentino "I work hard to create a custom treatment experience for every one of my patients. I have been Principal Investigator in more than 120 clinical trials because I care about my patients and I am driven to find new preventative therapies, treatments and procedures for them.
I joined The Macula Center to gain more freedom to pursue both novel preventative and therapeutic research. The move will also allow me to treat patients in a caring and compassionate environment that is both state of the art, holistic and spiritually healing. Come see me today and let's put you on the paths to prevention and healing!"
5 Specialties
- Ophthalmology
- Ophthalmic Research
- Ophthalmic Surgery
- Ophthalmic Vitreous Surgery
- Vitreoretinal Disease & Surgery
1 Board Certifications
- OphthalmologyAccredited by: American Board of Ophthalmology*
81 Conditions Treated
- Acute Endophthalmitis
- Age-Related Macular Degeneration
- All Headaches (incl. Migraine)
- Aphakia and Other Disorders of Lens
- Autoimmune Diseases
- Bell's Palsy
- Benign Neoplasm of Choroid
- Benign Neoplasm of Eye
- Benign Tumor
- Blindness
- Brain Disorders
- Cancer
- Cataract
- Central Serous Chorioretinopathy
- Chorioretinal Scars
- Chronic Endophthalmitis
- Conjunctival Hemorrhage
- Contusion of the Eyeball
- Corneal Abrasion or Laceration
- Corneal Diseases
- Corneal Ulcer
- Degenerative Disorders of Globe
- Diabetic Eye Disease
- Diabetic Macular Edema (DME)
- Diabetic Retinopathy
- Diplopia
- Drooping Eyelids (Ptosis)
- Drusen
- Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration
- Dry Eyes
- Endophthalmitis
- Eye Cancer
- Eye Infections
- Eyelid Disorders
- Floaters
- Focal Chorioretinitis and Focal Retinochoroiditis
- Fuchs' Corneal Dystrophy
- Glaucoma
- Headache
- Hyphema
- Hypopyon
- Hypotony of Eye
- Iridocyclitis
- Keratitis
- Lazy Eye
- Macular Degeneration
- Macular Degeneration, Polymorphic
- Macular Dystrophy, Atypical Vitelliform
- Macular Edema
- Macular Hole
- Macular Pucker
- Migraine
- Nearsightedness
- Ocular Hypertension
- Pinkeye (Conjunctivitis)
- Posterior Scleritis
- Progressive High Myopia
- Pterygium
- Purulent Endophthalmitis
- Retina Diseases
- Retinal Degeneration
- Retinal Detachment
- Retinal Detachment and Retinal Tear
- Retinal Dystrophy
- Retinal Hemorrhage
- Retinal Ischemia
- Retinal Neovascularization
- Retinal Vein Occlusion
- Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP)
- Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP)
- Retinoschisis
- Sarcoidosis
- Senile Cataracts
- Thyroid Disease
- Trichiasis
- Ulcer
- Uveitis and Iridocyclitis
- Vascular Disease
- Visual Field Defects
- Vitreous Hemorrhage
- Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration
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21 Procedures
- Anterior Vitrectomy
- Avastin® Injection
- Blepharorrhaphy
- Cataract Removal Surgery
- Coreoplasty
- Destruction of Lesion of Retina and Choroid
- Eye Surgery
- Eyelid Surgery
- Eylea® Injection
- Foreign Body Removal from Eye
- Lucentis® Injection
- Paracentesis of Anterior Eye
- Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)
- Pneumatic Retinopexy
- Removal of Intraocular Foreign Body
- Repair of Retinal Detachment or Retinal Tear
- Retinal Laser Photocoagulation
- Retinal Laser Surgery
- Scleral Reinforcement Surgery
- Vitrectomy (incl. Macular Hole Repair)
- Vitreoretinal Surgery
Background Check
0 Malpractice Claims
No malpractice history found for Florida.
0 Sanctions
No sanctions history found for the years that Healthgrades collects data.
0 Board Actions
No board actions found for the years that Healthgrades collects data.
Education
- UNIV OF MA MED SCHMedical School | Graduated 1993
- Mount Auburn HospitalInternship Hospital | Completed 1994
- Massachusetts Eye and Ear InfirmaryResidency Hospital | Completed 1999
- Mass Eye & Ear InstFellowship Hospital | Completed 1996
- Scheie Eye InstFellowship Hospital | Completed 2001
Awards & Recognition
Awards & Honors
- Healthgrades Honor Roll
Media & Publications
Dr. Tolentino has no media or publications listed.
Languages Spoken
- English
Memberships & Professional Affiliations
Dr. Tolentino does not have any memberships or affiliations listed. If you are Dr. Tolentino and would like to add memberships or affiliations, please update your profile.
Dr. Tolentino's Reviews
Likelihood of recommending Dr. Tolentino to family and friends
6 total reviews
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